The iconic landmark; Eiffel Tower

When we hear the name Paris Eiffel tower is one of the first things that pop into our minds. This exclusive landmark reflects 135 years of history. It is located in the heart of Paris in France. Over the years this elegant, charming and timeless structure has become a tower that can dominate the world’s architecture. It is named after the millionaire Gustav Eiffel whose company was in charge of constructing this magnificent construction. Moreover, it is called la dame de fur in French which means “the iron lady”. This tower is 300 m tall and was the tallest building at the time that it was constructed.

French revolution

The story of this wonderful tower starts with the French revolution. Beginning in 1789 and coming to a conclusion in the late 1790s with Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power, the French Revolution marked a turning point in world history. French population saw a major political landscape change during this time, toppling centuries-old institutions like the monarchy and the feudal system. France’s new ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte, came to power on November 9 and 10, 1799. The French Revolution came to an end with the coup of 18/19 Brumaire in Year VIII of the republican calendar, and Napoleon Bonaparte’s tyranny was officially inaugurated.

The iconic landmark; Eiffel Tower

Why was Eiffel Tower built?

In 1800 France went through an industrial revolution. France gain new technology and was searching for new extremes. In this era an event called the world’s fair was planned to be held in France. World expositions usually referred to as world fairs, serve as venues for combining new technology, history, and culture for a diverse audience. Nearly 100 million people visited the world expositions conducted in 12 U.S. cities between 1876 and 1916. This fair was basically there for countries to show off. France took the advantage of this and came up with a master plan to impress other countries and restore national pride. Furthermore, hosting this event gave them the opportunity to celebrate the 100th anniversary of bastille day in an extraordinary way.

To full fill, all these needs French government thought of building the world’s tallest building which will be 300 meters tall. At that time the tallest building in the world was the Washington monument which was 152 meters tall. However, The Eiffel tower was twice the tallest building that existed at the time. Therefore, the construction was extremely challenging and Gustavo Eiffel managed to overcome all of them.

How it was constructed.

The construction of the iconic Eiffel Tower was started on the 28th of January 1887. And finished on the 31st of March 1889. It took 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days to complete this massive structure. This tower was built in a different architecture than 19th-century French architecture. It was erected as a temporary construction to stay only 20 years. But then its breathtaking style changed its fate. Now it is considered the main feature in Paris. Furthermore, approximately 7 million visitors climb the Eiffel tower every year. 300 workers were employed to work with 18,038 iron pieces and 2.5 million rivets to make this project a success. However, this building was initially planned to be put on in Barcelona, Spain, but the proposal was rejected.

The iconic landmark; Eiffel Tower

Gustave Eiffel

Eiffel constructed many metal buildings of different types all over the world. Eiffel constructed many metal buildings of different types all over the world. His favorite type of work was bridges, especially railroad bridges, but he was also well-known for his metal structural work and industrial installations. Another famous constructional piece that Gustavo Eiffel took part in, is the statue of liberty in the USA. Underneath the upper structure of the statue of liberty, there is an iron frame made by Eiffel which has a similar structure to the Eiffel Tower.

When the Eiffel tower was constructed in the middle of the city most people hated it. Other artists, residents, and constructors petitioned continuously saying that it is strange with crisscrossing metal stripes. However, the construction continued resulting in an engineering marvel at the time. As the tower has a crisscross metal structure, those pieces were built outside the city and assembled at the location like a giant puzzle.

Eiffel with sparkles

Simply take in the shimmering lights of the Eiffel Tower while the city is at night if you want to have one of the most wonderful experiences in Paris. Here’s a tip on how to experience the Eiffel Tower glitter. That is best seen from Trocadéro, the elevated esplanade that offers sweeping views of the Tour Eiffel and the Champ de Mars. This 330-meter-high tower’s 20,000 perfectly placed light lights sparkling in perfect time is an experience you must not pass up. More recently, to remember the victims of the horrific events in November 2015, the Eiffel Tower flashed the colors of the French flag. A 12-minute performance was projected onto the Tower from May 15–17, 2019, in honor of the tower’s 130th birthday.

Moreover, As of September 2022, the final sparkle from the Eiffel Tower occurs at 11:45 p.m. in an effort to conserve energy. Before, the light display ran from dusk till one in the morning every evening. The tower sparkles with hundreds of thousands of lights for a full five minutes on the hour, every hour. The last performance is maybe the most amazing of them.

The iconic landmark; Eiffel Tower

Another thing you can do till the night lights

Furthermore, there are many of things to do close to the Eiffel Tower. That is to keep you occupied while you wait for the sky to darken and the light display to start.

There is something for everyone to enjoy, for instance, from admiring gorgeous flowers in the spring to enjoying a picnic next to the foot of the metallic building on the renowned Champ de Mars.

Although this unique piece of architecture was designed to dismantle in 20 years, It was used for military purposes after 1909. Now it is functioning as a signal-distributing antenna. It facilitates Paris with TV and radio signals. So what do you think about this iconic creation? Tell me in the comment section.